Shield attachment for guns.



Patented Apr. l5, I902.

J. F. MEIGS. v SHIELD ATTACHMENT FOB GUNS. 1 (Application filed Nov. 4, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sh'eet I. \V

- J. F. ME IGS.

SHIELD ATTACHMENT FOR GUNS.

t (Application filed Nov. 4, 1901A (No Model.) 2 Sheiets-$heot'2.

Patented Apr. I5 1902.

sins i -A'rssr @nruos.

JGHN r. MEIGS, OF on'rnnnnsti, FENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY,'OF son'rn BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

senate ATTAfbHMENT son cuss.

SEEGEEKGA TIE-N formingpart of Letters Patent No. 697,862, dated April 15, 1903.

Application filed November 4. 1901: Serial No. 81,057. No model?- T?) will wit-om 22mg concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. MEIGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shield Attachments for Guns, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to gun-shields espero, cinlly intended to he used in connection with orduancetoshield the gun-crew from projectiles while operating the piece.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters represent similar parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a top view of my shield attached toil grin, parts being broken sway. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, part of the shield being rennoved.

Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4 is a top view showing amodified form. Fig. 5 is a partial side view of the same,'and Fig. 3 is a front View. I

it re resents the pedestal of at gun, about s ,top carriage 13 is mounted to re t r the usual manner. In the top carrings are formed the heavy bearings C to receive the trunnions D, supporting the gunsleeve 3). The gun E is mounted to slide in the sleeve, and suitable recoil mechanism is connected with these two parts, so that the recoil is taken up in a manner well known in this art. The gun and sleeve are elevated together, turning about the trunnions D.

fhe gun-shield is formed of two similar parts F Fof armor-plate hardened in any desired way and held together at an angle by an angle-piece G, which by suitable screwbolts, as indicated, unites the two beveled end portions? oi" the shield-sections to form idnd igidjointbetween them. 'A lower bracing member H has nunngular front portion H, to which the-fronfiends of the shield-sections are secured by suitable screW-bolts at their lower portions, as indicated in Fig. 2, while j the rear of this bracing member is curved at l Fto conform to the front end of the top cmriege E, to which it is secured by suitable screw-bolts; I employ additional lateral supporting means in the form of springs I, which, as shown, are ol la1ninated structure, such as sleeve.

ordinary leaf-springs, and these springs are, securely bolted at their inner ends 1 to the top carriage, while their outer ends, projecting forward fl'Ol ll the curved portions of the springs, are secured to the shieldsections by suitable bolts. In this way the shield-sections are rigidly secured together at their front edges, so as to form a t -sheped shield,

and this shield, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, is rigidly secured to the top carriage to turn with it, the apex of the shield being substantially in a line extending vertically through the axis of the gun. In one of these sections is a suitable sight-hole F and in the apex or angular portion or sthe shield is a gun-port d5 F through which the muzzle of the gun is projected and in which it maybe elevated and depressed to the necessary extent. I prefer to form both of my shield-sections with a slightcurve at about the middle of each section at F, as shown in Fig. 1, although I may make these shield-sections either plain-surfaced or curred in an y other way.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4 to 6, I A is the pedestal; B, the top carriage mounted thereon, with bearings G to support-the trunnions i) of the recoil-sleeve D in which the gun E is mounted in the usual manner.

The recoil-sleeve in this case is formed with a \l-sbape'd extension D at its forward portion, constituting a bracket, to which the shieldsections F are securely fastened, both of the sections having beveled edges F and being rigidly supported by the angular portion D of the sleeve. In this case also I may'use additional supporting-springs I secured at their outer ends I to the shield-sections, while their inner ends I are bolted to the gun- 1 form in one of the shield-sections F the sightdiole F and also cut away the adjacent portions of the shield-sections to form a gun-port opening F in the angular part of the shield. In this case it will be seen that the i-shaped shield is rigidly secured to the gun-sleeve and revolves with the gun and is also elevated with it, so that by this arrangement I and enabled to form a ery much. smaller gun-port in the shield and secure much better protection for the gun-crew. A shield for this reason is very much stronger, since we the supporting 11651228 0311 be c nveniently made heavier in this case. As iii-the construction of Figs. lto 3, the shield-sections have each a slight bend F near the middle,

so that the Wings of the shield present a] structed.

In operation my shield has the advantages of: presenting a small angle to the line of fire. it is of a symmetrical form and, furtherniora. can be very readily constructed without com plex fitting and be easily applied. The trout portion of my shield presenting an angle where the two shield-sections join on a line extending vertically though the axis of the gun is very much stronger and. resists the penetration of the projectile very much bet ter than if curved at this point.

Numerous changes in the construction may be made by those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit of nay-invention. Itjis possible to mount my shield in other Ways than those'that I have shown, and, furthermore; the exact shape of the shield-sections, their size relative to the gun, and the curves of the surfaces which are exposed to fire may be varied.

Without restricting myself to the precise construction shown, I claiml. The combination of the gun-shield consisting of two shield-sections having their,

frontedges beveled to fit together at an an gle, the gun-supporthaving a V-shaped extension fitting into the angular portion of the shield,

l means for securing the shield to said extension. and yielding side supports for the shield-- sections, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a gun, of a V- shaped shield centrally supported on the gun, with its apex above and below and on a line extending through the axis of'the gun, and

- yielding side supports for the shield, substantially as described. I v

3 A gun-shield formed of two shield-sections of armor-plate meeting above and below the gun one-line estending ertically through the axis. thereof, a support for the forward portion ofthe, shield, and side suppo'rting springs, substantially as described. l

shieicl-' i. A gun-shield consiting of two sections meetinend securedtogether attheir front edges along a vertical line and at an;

each other, combined with a gun'- sieei e, ands; -f-shsped extension connected senses line near the center of the same and the front edges meeting and beveled to fit to gether, egun-sleeve to support a gun, an extension'fortned on said gun-sleeve and scoured to said shieldsections, and curved lamihated springs secured to said shield-sections and to saidgun-sleeve, substantizilly as described.

'7. of armor-plate, meeting at an angle and having a gun-p0 rt in-t'nefront and provided with a sight-hole, n gun-sleeve, ashield-supportin g extension secured to said gunsleeve. means to secure said shield-sections to said extension, and side supporting-springs,- substantially as described.

8. The. combination of two shield-sections of armor-plate, meeting at an angle, a gunsleeve having a V-shaped extension at its front end fitting Within the angle formed by the shield-sections, and rneansto secure such tially as described.

' 9. The combination witha.gun, of a .V- shaged shield with its apex on a line'extend- .ing vertically through the axis of the gun and having a port for the gun inthe angular portion, and means for supporting the shield to swing with the gun, substantially es de scribed. i

10. The combination with a gun, of s V- she'ped shield having its apex in a line extending vertically through the axis of the gnn and provided with a gun-port in its anguiar portion, eudm'eans for supporting the shield to nicve in all directions with the gun,.s ubstantiaiiy asdescribed.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Mines.

armor-plate, each being bent about a vertical The combination of two shield-sections 

